FIELDSBORO, N.J. - In anticipation of America 250, we head to a mansion in New Jersey with over 300 years of history and in more modern times, a reputation for being spooky.
What we know:
White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro was built in the early 1700s by the Field Family, according to Dawn Reichard and Kyle Mangus of the nonprofit Friends of White Hill Mansion.
They say the family’s name is the namesake of the borough.
What they're saying:
"There are a lot of layers in this house. It’s almost like the embodiment of the American story," said Reichard, President of Friends of White Hill Mansion.
"A true snapshot of American history and the American dream from beginning to end, it kind of embodies that spirit," said Mangus, Vice President of Friends of White Hill Mansion.
According to Reichard, Robert Field mysteriously drowned in the Delaware River and left his wife Mary Peale Field a widow in 1775.
Mary had to navigate the politics of the Revolutionary War. The house sits on the top of a bluff overlooking the Delaware River. It was visited by the American Navy, the British Army and even occupied by the Hessians.
"The American Revolution basically breaks out in their backyard," said Reichard. "Carl von Donop who is head of the Hessian regimen actually had tea with Mary Fields in this very room twice, so we think he might’ve been a little soft on her."
According to Mangus, notable individuals lived in the mansion during the 1800s including the owner of Arsenal Pottery in Trenton and the family behind Crossley Machine Company in Trenton. In the 1890s, the home was transformed into a grand Victorian style mansion.
"In the 1830s, we have this guy here that’s David Bruce Junior. He was a famous typesetter from New York. He invented this typesetting machine here up in the attic at White Hill that revolutionized the typesetting industry," said Mangus. "He invented the precursor to Times New Roman and Helvetica."
In the 1920s, White Hill became an upscale German restaurant run by the Glenk’s. Friends of White Hill Mansion said the basement operated as a speakeasy bar during the prohibition.
"Welcome to the speakeasy," said Mangus. "This was turned into a restaurant in 1922. The first thing that Mr. Glenk did when he opened the restaurant was dug [the basement] out three feet by hand. Prohibition was raging at the time, but as you all know, people drank alcohol even though it was not allowed."
"This is a picture of Mr. Glenk in the newspaper," said Reichard. "It is dated August 1933 right after prohibition ended—weird—and it’s welcoming you to the ‘brand new tap room’ at White Hill Mansion, which was just built. So, we know that this is not correct. We know it was built here ten years before."
In more recent years, White Hill Mansion has developed a reputation for being haunted. In addition to history tours during the day, Friends of White Hill Mansion offer nighttime public ghost tours.
"So I was here with a group of people and they said, ‘can we ask about ghosts?’ I’m like, go ahead just ask they can hear you," said Reichard. "So she asked if anybody could come out and talk to him and we heard, ‘yup’ and then a [big breath out]. So she was really scared after that."
"One day I was in here doing a history tour. All the guests left, I came back in the house by myself. I knew no one was in here," said Mangus. "I went into this room, shut one of the windows when I came out here, right here was a two to three year-old little boy with blonde hair and he was just staring right up at me. I locked eyes with him and looked him right in the face and he just poof disappeared in front of me."
Mangus said other people have also seen the little boy over the years and rumors have developed it could be one of the Field’s children. Mary had seven children, but only three lived to adulthood, according to the Friends of White Hill Mansion.
What's next:
The nonprofit said its goal is to preserve centuries-old stories at White Hill Mansion and restore the property to its former glory in the future.
Click here to learn more about upcoming events at White Hill.